


Of Family and Friendships

by japanfan101



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Humor, OC, Platonic at the moment, Post-Pacifist, awkward nerds being awkward, but there are flirty jokes and stuff, domestic stuff, he's a transguy, him and Gaster move in together, it's cute tho, that's literally it that's the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-25
Updated: 2016-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-16 04:51:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5814946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/japanfan101/pseuds/japanfan101
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This story follows Gaster and my OC Kieran when they meet. It's practice for the overall story I'm working on.</p>
<p>Also I suck at titles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I want to do a series of oneshots or mini stories to sorta nail down Gaster’s personality and Kieran’s, so this isn’t how they’ll be in the final story necessarily. I’m just playing with some ideas. :p This is how they met, since that won’t be elaborated on in the full story. If you have ideas or headcanons about Gaster, I'd love to hear them! I'm trying to write him the way I imagine him but I don't know if I capture that well enough or not.

“Okay… and… done!” I hit enter to post my ad on Craigslist, hoping to get some reply soon that /isn’t/ spam. Things have been bad at home and I’m ready to get out ASAP. I’ve got my eye one a cute little apartment, in the nice part of the city, but it’s out of my price range. There are two bedrooms and it’s pretty spacious, the layout’s exactly what I was hoping for, too.

With that, I start working on my homework, hoping to get as much done as possible.

~~~~~~

A week’s gone by since I posted my ad, and so far the only responses have been either spam or from really sketchy people. I sigh, relaxing and leaning back against a tree. A gust of wind blows by and I shiver; it’s not that cold, but thanks to the wind I’m forced to remember that it’s still winter. The end of winter, sure, but winter nonetheless.

I close my eyes and begin to drift asleep.

Suddenly, my phone rings and I jump about 5 feet in the air, startled. Pulling it out of my pocket, I look at the number; _Hmm… I don’t recognize this number, so hopefully they’re calling about the apartment!_ Quickly I hit the green button and answer, “Hello?”

I hear a gentle voice on the other end, deep and soothing but sounding slightly uncertain, “Hello, I’m hoping to speak with Kieran?”

“Yeah, that’s me~ Are you calling about the ad?” I respond excitedly, probably too enthusiastically.

“Yes, I am in fact. My name is Wingdings Gaster, but please just call me Gaster. I was hoping to talk about the apartment?”

“Sure!” I smile brightly, “We can talk over the phone if you like, but my cell’s kinda unreliable. Do you want to meet up to talk? If you have time, that is.”

There’s a pause on the other end, and I worry that maybe I should’ve not asked that or something… Listening closer however, I hear other voices as well. Eventually though he comes back to the phone, “ah yes, of course. That would be fine.”

“Alrighty, great! Where and when? I’m free basically every evening this week and all weekend, but today would be best if it’s not too short notice or anything.”

“We can meet today, that works well for me too. Is there anywhere in particular you would like to meet?”

“Well I’m good with anywhere,” I say sheepishly, “but there’s this epic coffee shop I know on Main Street. I can send you the address if that works?”

“That sounds lovely. Shall we meet there in an hour, then?”

“Yep! Guess I’ll see you then, Gaster. Oh wait, can I text this number to give you the address or should I send it to a different number…?”

“Oh this number is fine. It was nice talking to you, I’m looking forward to meeting in person.”

I hang up and smile, typing the address into my phone and sending it. Barely able to contain my excitement, I run the half mile home, once there I grab my wallet and keys and hop in my car.

~~~~~~

Showing up, I check the clock and click my tongue. _15 minutes early… damn. Well guess I’ll wait outside._ I lean against the side of the building, solving some Sudoku puzzles on my phone to pass the time.

Before I know it, I hear the voice from before. Gaster sounds incredibly uncomfortable, but I can tell he’s trying to act calm. “Excuse me… You’re Kieran, correct?”

Placing my phone back in my pocket, I look up to see a skeleton, a /tall/ skeleton. He’s wearing glasses and a lab coat, with a black blazer and white turtleneck beneath, along with a pair of slacks and black shoes. I suddenly feel very underdressed in my black sweatshirt with my college’s logo on it, old blue jeans, battered tennis shoes, and messy hair covered by a minecraft beanie to top it all off.

“Heya, you must be Gaster then?” I hold my right hand out, smiling broadly. He reaches out and shakes my hand, and I notice that he’s wearing white gloves as well. _Maybe he gets cold? …Somehow?_

“Yes, that’s me.” He seems surprised by something, but doesn’t say anything else so I shrug it off.

“Well I bet you're chilled to the /bone/ here, wanna head inside?” He chuckles quietly, almost inaudibly, and follows me inside.

We order our drinks, both getting a chai tea, and I place enough money on the counter for both drinks. Gaster tries to protest but I silence him by saying that the gentleman always pays, and winking at him for emphasis. A light purple appears on his cheeks and he looks shocked for a moment, before replying about how he works himself ‘down to the bone’ for his money, and is perfectly happy to pay for his own tea. I just laugh, telling him that I’m not letting him pay this time.

“Ah, perfect!” I see my favorite spot in the café; two large, fluffy chairs with a small table between them. The area is tucked away in a corner, which is great for some privacy. “You okay sitting here?” He nods and sits down, while I flop into the other chair.

I take a sip of my drink, enjoying the warmth spreading through my body. “Alright, so… uh… Well we’re just here to find out more about each other, right? So since it was my ad I guess I’ll kick it off.” I grin at him and continue, “My name’s Kieran, as you know. I’m 21, psych major and hoping to go into biopsych eventually. Brains are pretty cool~ Aaand… Hm, what else…? Oh, yeah, before I forget, here are some pics of the apartment.” I pull the slightly crumpled pictures out of my pocket and hand them to him.

Looking them over, he hums quietly, “Yes, this looks like a wonderful place. You said that it’s two bedrooms, correct?”

“Nope, we’re gonna share a room. And a bed, for that matter,” I say, with a completely deadpan look on my face. He sputters, trying not to choke on his tea, and I try to stifle a laugh, “Dude I’m kidding. Yeah, two bedrooms, no worries. I’m not a creep or anything.”

“Y-you sounded… serious…” His expression is a mixture of relief and confusion, and somehow cracks me up. I double over with laughter. If I looked up, I would see that he has his face covered with his hands, and has a purple hue covering his face.

“Hey, sorry, sorry Gaster. I didn’t mean to scare ya, and I’m not trying to be rude. You just had the best expression on your face,” I say between laughter.

“It’s… It’s okay, I was just surprised.” I note that his eyes are turned towards the table, and he isn’t looking at me anymore.

As my laughter dies down, I look at him sincerely, “hey I really am sorry if I offended you or upset you. I joke like that a lot, and it’s hard for me to filter it out… You’re the only legit call I’ve gotten on the ad and I really want this to go well, so please don’t be too mad.”

With a nod, he looks back up at me still a bit embarrassed. “I already said that it’s okay Kieran, there’s no need to apologize anymore.” Gaster smiles reassuringly, having already collected himself. “I should share a bit about myself now, I suppose? I’m a theoretical physicist working in the lab nearby. As you can see, I’m a monster so I hope that won’t be a problem…” His gaze shifts to the floor, uncomfortably.

“Not a problem at all." _Ah, so this was what he was worried about I'm guessing. Sad that he has to worry about that..._ "I’m no racist, in fact I despise racism and am actually an activist helping to fight for monster rights and all that. Right now, mostly, my group’s just working on getting laws to protect you guys ‘cause some humans suck and can’t seem to get it through their thick skulls that all people are deserving of life.” I realize that I might’ve said too much and blush, grimacing slightly, “sorry for the rant. It’s something important to me is all…”

The white pinpricks in his eyes widen and he breaks out into a smile, “thank you, then. I really was… unsure. But that is good to hear.”

Quickly, I mumble, “uh… don’t mention it.” I smile, trying to hide my discomfort at being thanked. “Uh… Anyways, is there anything else you’d like to share?”

“O-oh, yes! Yes, right” He rubs the back of his head awkwardly. “I have two brothers, Papyrus and Sans. They live in an apartment of their own, but unfortunately there’s no room for me there. I’m 24 years old. Is there anything else I should share?”

“Well… I guess hobbies and social life is kinda important so we don’t clash too badly there,” I shrug, sipping at my tea, “but I’m pretty laid back and so long as your hobby isn’t murder or rape or anything it’s no dealbreaker.” I notice the slightly horrified look on his face.

“No, no no no of course not! That would be horrible…”

I laugh, “Yep, my point exactly. Thanks for agreeing!” I pause, considering what to say next. “Um… So I play video games and watch anime. I loooove crappy B-movies, especially horror, but I watch anything that’s not romance really. Documentaries are pretty fun. I play the violin, but I won’t in the apartment if it bothers you, and I enjoy cooking. I like to draw and write. I work out every morning and hike a lot, and I have a bad coffee addiction. But homework takes up a lot of my time to be honest.”

“It sounds like you do quite a lot in your spare time! Hm… As for me, I spend most of my time researching. I haven’t had much time to explore any hobbies, but I enjoy reading and looking up at the stars. The universe is so vast, and I really love how beautiful and peaceful the night sky is.” There’s a content smile on his face and I take a drink from my tea, enjoying the look on his face. _Da-yum, he’s adorable. Wait I just met him… Dammit brain._ “For that matter, I really appreciate all of nature. The feeling of the sun after so long is lovely, and admittedly I could easily sit outside for hours with a book and some tea every day.” His expression is peaceful, and I find myself blushing. “I can’t think of anything else to add, I’m quite a boring person when I don’t have a project to work on. As for my social life, I spend time with my brothers but I’m fairly introverted in all honesty.”

“That's really cool, actually! Not boring at all! Nature's pretty damn amazing, that's for sure. I doubt we'll ever know all the answers about how it works, but it's fun to learn what you can about it." I smile brightly, but after a short pause my smile falls and I sigh. "Since you mentioned your family, I’ll mention mine. We don’t get on well. I’ve got…” I pause and go through it in my head, “Alright, I’ve got my mom and dad, Angela and Ray. I’ve also got two sisters, Violet and Candace, and a brother named Robby. Violet lives with her husband, Candace is with her girlfriend, and Robby is still a kid living at home.” With a shrug I add, “but you hopefully won’t ever have to meet them.”

He looks at me quizzically, probably wanting to ask, but decides against it, “I’m sorry you and your family don’t get along well.”

I shrug again and drink my tea, deciding to change the subject. “This isn’t something I really wanna mention, but I should share it. Lots of people have issues with being anywhere near someone like me, so it’s safer to disclose now. Uh… I’m… trans. Transgender. So yeah, I’m a guy, but people thought, mistakenly, that I was a chick when I was born. So… Um…” My gaze shifts down towards the floor and I frown, hoping against hope that he won’t have a problem with that.

To my surprise, he answers me without having to think all that much about it. “Why do you think that will be an issue? You say you’re a man, and I have no reason to question that.” He smiles at me and I look at him in complete shock, unsure of how to react. When I don’t answer after a few minutes pass, he continues. “I’m very interested in sharing this apartment with you, Kieran. How much would I be responsible for paying?”

“U-u-uhm… Well…” I pause, and take a deep breath trying to erase my shock. “The apartment goes for 1400, so it would be 700 apiece. Does that work for you?”

Gaster nods, “That’s perfect! When will we go down to rent it?”

“Well we can go right now, the sooner the better right?” I smile brightly, then realizing something I hesitate, “the down payment is 3200, so… I have enough to cover the whole thing with me, if you could pay me half back…? I mean, I’m just assuming you aren’t carrying around over a thousand dollars in your pocket, that’d be dangerous.”

“Oh yes, of course. I don’t have the money with me right now, but I will pay you back for my portion. May I ask why you do carry that much on you if, in your own words, it’s dangerous?”

“Well…” In my best Austin Powers impression I answer, “I like to live dangerously.”

Gaster laughs, “at least you’re not carrying around…” he puts his pinky up next to his mouth, “one million dollars!”

“Oh you have seen it! Yes!” With a laugh I stand up, and hold my hand out to help him up.

With a shake of his head and a sigh, he says "it’s not my favorite, in fact it’s… it’s quite vulgar. Sans watched it and I was forced to sit through it with him.” He takes my hand, allowing me to help him up. 

“Vulgar, huh? Yeah I guess it is. But it’s hilarious!” I chuckle, “Welp, should we meet there?”

An uncertain smile crosses Gaster’s face, “actually… my brothers live nearby, and I walked here. I’m afraid I don’t have a car of my own yet.”

I nod knowingly, “man, not being able to get around in your own car sucks. We can take mine then, if that’s alright with you.”

“Thank you, I appreciate it.” He smiles warmly at me, eyes lighting up and looking brighter than before.

We hop into my car and as soon as it turns on, the song I was last listening to starts blaring from the speakers, loudly; Wannabe by the Spice Girls. Not the manliest thing in the world... _I never wanted anyone to know I listen to this, dammit!_ My face almost instantly goes beet red, and with an embarrassed squeak I crank the volume down to zero. I turn to face Gaster and start to apologize, hoping to any god that may be listening that somehow he didn’t hear it, or at least didn’t know the song, but I see him hunched over, hand over his mouth trying, and failing, to keep himself from laughing.

With a small, relieved grin, I put my seatbelt on and shake my head. “Something tickle your funny bone? Was that situation humerus to you?”

He manages to compose himself, mostly. “No, no, not at all.” He clears his throat, “I just didn’t realize someone who played the violin would have such an… interesting taste in music.” Trying to hold back a smile, he shoots me a look of mock disapproval.

I punch him lightly, playfully, on the shoulder, “I listen to literally any music. Now put your seatbelt on, nerd.” A smirk rests on my face. _I think we’re going to get along just fine._

With a click, his seatbelt is on and we drive off to rent this apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the final chapter! This one's got some fluffiness. Also I wrote it at 3 am so it might suck a bit but I like it so that's good enough for me. :3

“Hey, ‘Dings, what’s up?” I run up to Gaster, grinning broadly. _Today’s the day we move in! I can’t wait!_

“Oh my, is that what you’re calling me now? I’m quite content with the name I have, you know.” He smiles nonetheless, “I do believe that the sky is what’s up. If you mean to ask how I’m doing, I’m well. And how have you been?”

“Too bad. You’re always gonna be ‘Dings to me from now on. The alternatives would make even a perv like me blush!” I waggle my eyebrows suggestively, earning a light blush from him. “Nah I’m just joking. I’m pretty good too.”

“What do you mean, you’re good? What are you good at?” A small smile tugs at the corner of his mouth.

I roll my eyes and respond, voice dripping with sarcasm, “yeah yeah yeah, nerd. I’m doing well. Better?”

“Much better, yes.”

We both laugh, glad that we’re already getting along fairly well. “So, do you have all your stuff packed up and ready to go?” I’m parked outside of his house, apparently his brothers are gone so we have to do all the work ourselves.

With a nod he starts walking towards the door, “yes, everything is packed up neatly. I don’t own very much though, I believe there’s only…” He pauses for a moment, “there’s only 5 or 6 boxes, a few are quite heavy though…”

“That’s cool, I lift bruh. I got this shit.” The smile on my face grows and I hold up an arm, flexing.

He chuckles as he pushes the door open. “Oh, I’m so impressed. Your claim will be put to the test, though.”

Stepping in I notice a chalkboard hanging on the wall, there’s a list of chores on it. There are a few bone puns, and beneath the puns a sentence reads, ‘SANS STOP!’ I can’t help but laugh. It seems like they all got along, at least. Must be nice to have a decent family. Sighing, I push the thought from my head. The walls are fairly plain. A light green couch sits in the living room facing a small TV. A pirate flag adorns the wall behind the couch. There’s a medium sized white bookshelf that’s nearly empty, most of the books are either joke books, quantum physics books, puzzle books, or children’s books. _Interesting collection._ All in all, it seems like a nice little apartment. Somehow I feel a bit sad that Gaster can’t stay here, but it’s just because of space. This place is really really small…

“Kieran?” Gaster calls me from another room.

“Oh, right, sorry!” I head towards what I assume was his room, where the voice came from. “I was just admiring the décor, this is a pretty nice place! Small though, definitely small.” Pushing the already ajar door open, I step inside.

The room is… pristine. There’s nothing but a bed and some boxes. “Alrighty, where’s the heaviest? I’ll impress you with my strength! I’m practically He-Man with these guns!”

Gaster turns to me, holding a box, and holds it out, “who’s He-Man?”

“He’s the titular character of an old cartoon. I love that show to death,” I grab the box from him, and it’s really not all that bad. “Is this the heaviest?”

“Yes, that’s what you asked for after all.”

I make a small surprised noise at how light the box is, “Oh, well alright, that’s not too bad.” Just before I turn to head out of the room, a bunch of hands materialize and I about jump out of my skin. There’s a pair of hands for each box. “Whoa, ‘Dings, that’s fucking awesome! I forget that monsters have magic sometimes. Humans were told for the longest time that magic didn’t exist so it’s cool to see.”

One of his eyes had ignited into a purple flame, glowing brightly and casting a purple light over everything. He looks a bit embarrassed, and I realize I probably shouldn’t have said that. “W-well, thank you, I suppose. Magic is essentially what us monsters are made out of.”

“Huh… cool! Must be… /handy/.” I snicker at my own joke and Gaster laughs softly. With that we head out to the car, Gaster makes sure to lock the door behind us. Getting the boxes into the car is simple, it takes hardly any time at all, and before we know it we’re at the new apartment.

Hauling all the boxes upstairs isn’t all that hard, given that Gaster’s magic handles all but one of the boxes. The key jingles in the lock and I push the door open, excited to get in.

“Ah, home sweet home!” With a happy sigh I hurry in and set his box down in his room, directly across from the door. My room is to the left of the front door. There are two bathrooms, one in this hallway and one only accessible through my room. The kitchen is to the right, fairly small but nice. There’s no dishwasher, but everything else is in place. There’s a small bar on the side of the kitchen facing the dining area, and the living room fills up the rest of the space. A glass door in the dining area leads out to the back yard.

I hear Gaster’s confused voice from the other room. “Kieran? There’s a bed in here already…”

“Yeppers, I got furniture beforehand. Sorry if you don’t like it… it’s the same as mine, but you’re free to donate that and get a new bed if you don’t like it.”

“Oh no, that was very thoughtful of you. I appreciate it!”

A few days prior, I’d moved my own stuff in and gotten new furniture. A bright blue couch with peach colored patterns drawn onto it with inverted pillows sits in the living room facing a huge TV. I’d also bought two fancy gaming chairs, the kind that can hook up to games and stuff through Bluetooth so you can plug headphones into the side of your chair and hear the sound. Two desks are in the living room against the wall in a corner, blocked off by the couch and chairs to give a little privacy. Both desks are black, but mine has round, bright blue patterns in it that matched the color of the couch. I didn’t know his favorite color, but figured that I can’t go wrong with black. A floor lamp stands next to the couch, and there’s a bookshelf between our two desks. There’s a glass coffee table in front of the couch with a black and blue rug beneath it. I have a few posters hung up near my desk, along with a few pieces of my artwork. Inspirational quotes are framed here and there around the living room, and a whiteboard hangs up on the wall in the dining room. Speaking of, the dining room holds a glass table and some simple wooden blue chairs. My desk has a full gaming computer set up.

“Yo, ‘Dings, I know you wanna unpack but… I kinda got furniture for the whole place and I’d like to know what you think? I can take any of it back for a refund, so if you don’t like something tell me and we can replace it.”

I hear footsteps coming down the hallway, and he turns the corner into the living room. After a glance around the room, he smiles, “it’s certainly colorful. I don’t have any problems with this setup, though. Might I ask why there are two desks…?”

“Oh yeah, course. One’s for my gaming computer, and the other is for you.” I shrug, “dunno if you’ve got a laptop or computer or whatevs, but it could at least be for writing or researching or something.”

Lavender blush covers his face and his gaze falls on the floor, “You didn’t have to do that for me.”

Suddenly worried, I frown, “Well… I know I didn't have to, I wanted to. Anyways, you can move it to your room of course, or if you don’t like it we can exchange it.”

“That’s not what I mean, it just is a surprise. I’m grateful, thank you. How much was it? I’ll pay you back.”

I click my tongue in disapproval. “Nope~ Sorry. I bought it as a housewarming gift for you so hush.” With that, I wink at him. “Anyways, can I help you unpack at all? Or is there anything I can do?”

“No, but thank you. You’ve already done quite a bit getting the furniture in here. I imagine you have your own things to unpack, too.”

After shooting me a small smile, he heads back into his room to finish unpacking, and I head to mine. When I reach my room, I grab my box of books. “Hey, so, I’ve got a shit ton of books and they don’t all fit on my bookshelf… there’s one out here though, I was hoping we could share it? You’ve got your private one in your room, too, so there should be enough space.”

“Yes, of course! Please feel free, nearly all of my books fit in here anyways.”

“Thanks! One last thing, what kinda music are you into? I wanna put some on but most of what I listen to is super weird, so I’ll put on whatever you wanna hear.”

“I do enjoy classical music very much, if you're okay with that…”

“Sure thing!” I boot up my computer and quickly navigate to the music player. Soon after, classical music is drifting through the apartment, not loud enough that the neighbors will complain, though.

The day continues on like that, occasionally Gaster and I talk to ask questions or joke around, but we mostly work in silence, save for the music. We finish around eight and sit down on the couch together.

“Whew, I feel like we did good today! What about you?”

Slowly, Gaster nods. He looks incredibly tired.

“Heh, you should get to bed sleepyhead.”

With a small laugh he nods in agreement. “Mhm…” Instead of standing up, however, he falls against me. I stifle a laugh.

 _Cute…~ He’s so cute! Why do I think a skeleton is cute...? Weird._ Gently I stand up, holding him up. I put one arm behind his back and the other beneath his legs. Taking a deep breath, I lift him up and find that he’s surprisingly heavy for a skeleton. Not too heavy or anything, just moreso than I expected. Still lighter than a human of the same size.

In his room, I lay him down gently on the bed and pull the blankets up to his chin. I press the blanket in around his body, creating a sort of cocoon. As I go to leave, I see a stuffed animal laying on the floor. It looks like a skeleton puppy or something. _Whatever it is, it’s adorable!_ Picking it up, I put the stuffed animal in bed next to him.

As quietly as possible, I shut the door to his room and head into my own.

**Author's Note:**

> If you have oneshot suggestions, let me know! I've got some ideas, but not as many as I'd like. ^^;


End file.
